Expressions of Love
by nerdlife4eva
Summary: Yuuri and Victor are taking some time to travel the world after they have both retired from professional skating when they come across a small art gallery. Inside they find a treasure trove of uniquely beautiful art. One collection in particular is so powerful, they cannot resist purchasing the whole thing.


**Based on the amazing art of Riki-cartblog on Tumblr! Please go check out this amazing artist!**

* * *

Traveling the world during their professional careers had always been a matter of daily schedules and hotels in approximate distance to event centers. It came with the distinct feeling of anticipating a few hours ahead for planning and cherishing the small available hours of quiet time. Together, they had made each trip memorable, but there had always been a longing for more time, more relaxation, and more quiet exploration of their destination and each other.

When they finally retired, and hung in the balance of deciding their next move, Victor and Yuuri took the rare chance to travel for the sake of traveling. Adventure had never been high on Yuuri's lists of desired activities, but with Victor he moved easily from his comfort zone, happily joining his husband in all corners of the world. They took Makkachin to every appropriate location, and when they couldn't, she spent her time being loved by Yuuri's family. They made it a point to never be gone from home for too long, and even on their shortest journeys, Makkachin was there when they returned, happy to see them and spoiled beyond measure.

They had decided to explore locations that competitions wouldn't take them, including a glass floor hotel in Australia and the sands of a private island in Belize. From the largest tourist locations to the bustle of small street markets, Yuuri and Victor wound their love into the tapestry of the memories they were creating. In the end, the locations never mattered as their love draped over every day, making each moment special simply because they were together.

When all of the big landmarks were checked off the list, he would grab Victor's hand, venturing from their hotel to find the hidden treasures of each new city. When possible, they would take these ventures on foot, letting themselves be guided by their senses. If they became lost, they found a ride back, often collapsing into giggles when they were either far closer or much further than they realized.

In their most recent destination, they had already exhausted the directed tours and national monuments, finally passing into Yuuri's favorite part of any trip. Stepping from the entrance of the hotel, Victor pointed to the left and Yuuri nodded his head in agreement. Shoulders brushing, breeze ruffling their hair, they set off to explore.

Cobblestones scattered under their leisurely footsteps, adding a soundtrack to their movements more personal than the hum of the shifting crowd. The smell of flowers floated all around them, draped over stone walls and peppering the walkways in natural, colorful decoration. A soundless peace clung to the air, and they both wore small smiles as their most prominent sign of comfortable enjoyment of each other's presence.

A hand on the small of Yuuri's back had him tilting his head up toward Victor to smile with question playing in his eyes.

"Look over there," Victor pointed, guiding Yuuri with a gentle hand to cross the street.

Slipping his own arm around Victor's waist, Yuuri allowed himself to be redirected into a small store front. Their joint gasps filled the small space as they stepped inside, eyes widening with the beauty around them.

Every wall held a different collection of inspired art. Some panels held sketches, strong lines alternating with soft ones. All of them were without color, but spectacularly beautiful in their simplicity. Other panels held abstract art, shapes and colors left open to the interpretation of each viewer. Digital art covered one wall, prints of strong colors and varying styles.

Moving through, they examined each piece carefully, stopping only to speak briefly to the single employee who sat propped on a stool with a book in hand. It had been walking like into a world made of pure magnificence and Yuuri could feel himself getting lost in it, until Victor's grip became tight on his back. His love was excited about something, a change that Yuuri could detect with ease now.

Victor felt breathless as he pulled Yuuri closer to the wall. Single eight by ten panels covered the space. The backgrounds were white, clean and unobtrusive to the exquisiteness of the marker strokes. Each frame held a single color, exercised in expert precision to bring the figures to life. "Ohh," Victor breathed, letting his chest deflate, "they are…"

"Beautiful," Yuuri finished, barely catching himself before he ran his fingers directly over the drawings in front of him. Each piece was soothing, the embodiment of love and gentle physical comfort. There were bodies tangled together with one figure holding the other chest to chest, a position that Yuuri recognized immediately. His smile widened as he pointed a finger to two figures, one wrapped around the other's back, highlighted in a serene green.

Sighing, Victor copied the pose, wrapping his arms around Yuuri's waist to press his chest flush against his husband's back. "They all remind me of us," Victor sighed again, finding a sense of contentment washing over him. Somehow the images were making him feel at ease, as if they were supporting him with real tactile embraces. He had never felt quite so captured by artwork before, even in the large photo books he collected, and there was a strong need to acquire every last piece.

Sensing the flutter of his husband's pulse under the place where Yuuri's thumb touched Victor's wrist, Yuuri twisted to examine Victor's face. The exuberance he found, displayed with wide sparkling eyes and a signature heart shaped smile pulled at the delicate strings threaded between his heart and Victor's. "You want them all, don't you?" Yuuri asked the question, even though the answer was obvious.

"Don't you?" Victor sighed again, pulling Yuuri even tighter to his chest. "We have that one wall, with our wedding picture. Can't you see them around it?" Counting the pictures, Victor knew there was enough for two on each side. The vision made him hum with excitement.

Pausing, Yuuri rested his head on Victor's shoulder, letting the image build in his own mind. The wedding picture had been a compromise in size between the mural Victor wanted and the eleven by thirteen print Yuuri had suggested. When it had been hung on the wall, Victor had leveled a succinct "I told you so" in Yuuri's direction. The memory made Yuuri giggle, as did the thought of the too-small picture hanging on their living wall.

Victor was right. No matter the cost, this rainbow of love had to be a part of their home. Turning again, Yuuri kissed Victor on the cheek, laughing as his husband exclaimed his victory. Hand-in-hand they weaved their way back to the gallery's employee, spending thirty minutes purchasing the pieces, filling out the required shipping labels to have them sent safely home, and writing a card to thank the artist. As the final signature was placed over the last line, they shared a happy embrace before saying a cheesy goodbye to their new collection and wandering back onto the street.

* * *

Yuuri was adorable in everything he did. Victor knew this to be true because he had seen Yuuri do everything from brush his teeth to executing a flawless arabesque. The moments where Yuuri was his most irresistible shifted in ranked position in Victor's mind, the top spot currently going to the sight of his husband hammering nails into the wall while precariously balanced on a stepstool. Just below the current number one were the scrunched look in Yuuri's brow as he measured and placed marks for each nail and the blushing smile on Yuuri's face when the pictures had arrived.

In the gap of time between when they had purchased the small collection and when it arrived in Hasetsu, Victor had become worried that he had been too enthusiastic. But when the box had arrived, and each panel was removed from its protective layer, Victor had felt the singing reaction of his heart once again. As Yuuri carefully constructed the configuration over their once mostly vacant wall, Victor knew he had made the right decision. These drawings were pure emotion and a perfect depiction of everything they found together.

Stepping from the stool, Yuuri stood back with the hammer dangling from his fingertips. A slight whistle escaped his lips as he surveyed the layout. Emotions rushed to his throat as he sank onto the couch, letting the hammer drop on the floor. As Victor sank down next to him, Yuuri shifted to lay his legs out and let Victor curl onto his chest. A muffled sound came from the crook of Yuuri's elbow. "What was that?" Yuuri lifted his head slightly to peer at his husband's hidden face, gentle fingers brushing aside Victor's fringe.

"Number three," Victor grinned, pointing a finger at the red marker figures mirroring their own bodies.

Yuuri felt the chuckles vibrating between their chests as Victor snuggled closer, letting his fingers lace into the soft silver locks. Victor began to drift to sleep, and Yuuri let his eyes wander back to their wall. Letting memories flood back in, he superimposed their own tangled embraces over each drawn masterpiece.

Out of all the places they had been, Yuuri always knew that home would be wherever Victor's arms were waiting.

* * *

 _Wonderful Riki,_

 _Thank you for sharing your love._

 _We will cherish your work forever._

 _Fondly,_

 _Victor and Yuuri_


End file.
